I bought this top impulsively while browsing Breakout. I can't remember the last time I even wore a swimsuit, never mind a two-piece, but I liked the nautical look of it so much I couldn't resist. It's so cute! I love the stripes, the cup design, and the buttons on the gore. There's even a little gold Panache charm sewn onto the left side band. Adorable.
The material is standard non-shiny swimsuit fabric, with not too much stretch. The cups are unpadded and lined in white mesh. I do get a little bit of nipple poke, but the contrast between the navy band on the top of the ...cups and the stripes hides it pretty well. The back has one plastic interlocking closure similar to a typical front-close bra clasp, but bigger.
I'm pleasantly surprised by the fit and look in person! It's really flattering. The band is snug but not too tight. The cups fit pretty well on both sides with no quadding or gaping, and somehow manage to hide my asymmetry. The gore tacks comfortably. I was concerned that the band would be too thin on me and would accentuate my back bulges, but it doesn't. The only small issue I have with it is the straps - they're spaced wide for me and I can see them slipping with wear. It would be good if it had a j-hook or a way to cross the straps in the back, but I can finagle something if it becomes a problem. Overall, I really like it. The matching high-waisted striped retro bottom didn't work for me (waist comes up too high), but I'm exchanging for a midrise solid navy bottom that I expect will be much better. I look forward to finding an excuse to wear the set this summer! Read more 199 more words
I decided I wanted an underwired bikini top for the summer. I usually wear tie on tops as I have always found clasped ones to look far too tight and dig in, giving me back fat which makes me self conscious. Tie on tops aren't very supportive though and it gets uncomfortable if I wear them on boats when it's wavy. As I now know my bra size better, I decided to give it a go again.
I would usually go for 30F as a starting size but decided to sister size to 32E with this because of the digging in issue I've had in the past. I ordered ...both a 32E and 32DD as I'd seen the cups ran slightly small. I think the band could potentially be a little tighter but it's ok. Much more supportive than my other tops. The wires come up high and they sit on my breast tissue, however because the band is slightly looser, it doesn't dig in and hurt. I won't be wearing this for the same amount of time as a normal bra so I am going to keep this. I wanted a top which could be strapless and I'm not sure there is a strapless bikini top which has lower wires than this.
Quality seems good to start with, I can update this after the summer. Read more 117 more words
I made a mistake when I ordered this from a US internet vendor, assuming UK sizing (US32F=UK32E). Anyway. So its a gorgeous one-piece suit, but not for me! The color is a deep true purple with blue undertones, like a delphinium. It gives good coverage for a swimsuit, covering the butt & front adequately and making a nice mid-height swoop along the thighs. It doesn't bind or squinch there. The top is a complimentary squared-off shape, no deep cleavage but low enough to be seriously beach-babe. A little panel of navy-bordered trim & buttons in the center complements the navy straps. The built-in bra part is lightly padded, ...the wires are neither terribly wide nor narrow, and its entirely invisible. It closes with a clever and sturdy non-adjustable plastic clasp. It also seems too small to be a 32 band, but maybe it would stretch with wear. I don't know much more about the fit, because while I could just get it to snap closed, the top smushed me so flat and was so restrictive that I took it off in a hurry https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />. Since it was my first attempt at a bra-sized swimsuit plus the wrong size, idk, maybe that is what is supposed to happen? I think this suit would work great for a 28 or 30 back, and for someone who is smaller or shallower than me. It's very well made and a complimentary cut. Read more 136 more words
Runs a little large in the band (remember that things stretch even more when they're wet). I took in the gore to open up the top of the cups a bit. Cups are wide, but with a decent amount of projection. I wish bikinis had multiple hooks in the back like a regular bra. Oh well.
Looks great faeriequeene ! Maybe you could take it to a tailors to have a J hook added?